Reusable pallet leg



y 7, 1966 H. D. WHITTLE, JR 3,251,320

REUSABLE PALLET LEG Filed May 8, 1964 Inventor:

Henry D. Whittle, Jr.

his Attorney United States. Patent 3,251,320 REUSABLE PALLET LEG Henry D. Whittle, Jr., 136 Beverley Road, Danville, Va. Filed May 8, 1964, Ser. No. 365,971 12 Claims. (Cl. 108-51) apart from its legs and for economic use requires only the legs to be returned to the shipper.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pallet having a frame formed of side and cross members and legs connectable to the frame, wherein the legs, on being connected 'to the frame, connect the frame members to each other.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a pallet having a frame and legs connected thereto, wherein the frame members and legs are so arranged and constrllcted that the legs are readily applied and removed and, when applied, connect the frame members to each other.

A further object of the invention is to provide a reusable pallet leg of such arrangement and construction that identical legs can be used at the corners and, if additional suport is required, at intermediate points along frame members and in use connect adjoining parts of frame members to each other.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter in the detailed description, be particularly pointed out in the appended claims, and be illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an isometric view of a preferred embodiment of the pallet of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view on an enlarged scale of a' corner portion of the pallet of FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical sectional view taken along lines 3-3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is an isometric view of one of the reusable pallet legs; and

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary isometric. view of a pallet similar to that on FIGURE 1 but of such length as to have-a middle cross member and a middle leg on each side.

Referring now in detail to the drawings in which like reference characters designate like parts, the improved pallet of the present invention may be used in any location in whichit is desired to adapt merchandise or other articles for handling by forklift trucks and like devices, but is most useful in the shipment of articles from a shipper to a consignee or other recipient.

The improved pallet is comprised of a frame 1 which usually will be rectangular and made of wood. The frame 1 is formed of a laterally spaced, parallel side rails or frame members 2 connected by longitudinally spaced, parallel cross rails or frame members 3 normal or at right angles or angularly related to the side rails. pending on its length, the frame 1 may have as its only cross rails a pair of end rails or frame members 4, as shown in FIGURE 1, or, in addition, one or more inter mediate cross rails 5, such as the middle or midcross rail shown in FIGURE 5. In the preferred construction, the side and cross rails 2 and 3 extend between and inter- Patented May 17, 1966 "ice sect or overlap each other, with the ends of each rail substantially flush with the outer sides of the rails it intersects.

For supporting the frame 1 at a height at which a fork of a forklift truck (not shown) can be inserted under it, the preferred pallet has a leg 6 at each of the intersections or overlaps of a cross rail 3 with a side rail 2. The multiplicity of legs 6 all can be and preferably are, identical'or alike and are designed not only to support the overlying corner or other part of the frame 1 but also to connect the side and cross rails 2 and 3 to each other. To this end, each leg 6 has above or surmounting its leg portion 7 a pair of angularly and preferably right-angularly related slots or recesses, one overlying or superimposed on the other. The upper and lower slots 8 and 9, respectively, are horizontally disposed and preferably rectangular with each closed at its inner end. Bounded or defined vertically by pairs of jaws 10 and 11, respectively, the upper and lower slots 8 and 9 each receives or seats one of the adjoining end portions or other parts of the side frame 2 and cross member 3 intersecting at that position or location.

Slidably receiving the frame members 2 and 3 sideways or crosswise, the slots 8 and 9 in the legs 5 desirably have a depth or longitudinal dimension substantially equal to the width of the rail members but a width or vertical dicross frame members 2 and 3, the grooves 12 therein preferably are reversed or oppositely opening. Thus, in the illustrated frame 1 in which the side rails 2 overly, surmount or are superimposed on the cross rails 3, the grooves 12 in the side rails face or open upwardly, while those in the cross rails face or open downwardly.

Grooved in the above manner, the side and cross rails 2 and 3 are locked or interlocked against longitudinal movement relative to each other and the legs 6 and a single nail 13, driven vertically through a hole or aperture 14 provided for that purpose in the jaw 10 or 11 fitting in the groove 12 of the related rail, will ordinarily suffice to lock or hold the rails against lateral movement without preventing them from being driven or knocked out of the slots in the legs when it is desired to disassemble the pallet. If to be loaded with plywoodsheets or other articles that can be supported on the open frame 1, the pallets is completed by the frame and the legs 5. However, for loading smaller articles, the pallet may be partly or fully closed between the rails, as by mounting on and securing to the upper faces of the side rails 2 a platform 15 formed of suitable material, such as the indicated wooden cross-boards 16. In such case, the side rails 2 will be held against lateral movement by the platform 15 and only the cross rails 3 need be nailed or otherwise suitably secured to the legs 6.

If the pallet is to be used at one location, its several parts should be of a quality to giveit permanence. However, if it is to be used in shipping articles, the platforms construction particularly lends itself to making only the legs 6 of a quality to withstand repeated use and the balance of lumber or other material so cheap or of such low quality as to merit its discard after a single use.v

So constructed and with the cheap rails 2 and 3 cheaply secured to the legs 6 and any platform 15 to the side rails by nails 13, the pallet can be disassembled at destination after unloading by a few blows of a hammer and only the legs need be returned to the shipper, with consequent saving in shipping space and expense.

So long as they have pairs of annul arly related slots 8 and 9 above their leg portions 7 for receiving and connecting the correspondingly related side and end rails 2 and 3 and are sufliciently rugged to withstand repeated use, the legs 6 may be of any suitable construction. These requirements are particularly well met by the illustrated and presently preferred leg. Of steel or like durable material, the preferred leg 6 is formed from fiat bar stock of adequate cross-section. A single or main piece 17 of stock, bent backwardly upon itself in a single plane with its end portions overlapping and welded together at one end, forms the leg portion 7 which, as illustrated,- may '-be downwardly tapered and trapezoidal in outline, with its downwardly converging sides 18 connected at the bottom by a fiat foot 19. The leg portion 7 is closed and laterally braced at the top by one end portion 20 of the piece 17, which has its end welded or fixed to the confronting side of the piece and also serves as the lower of the jaws 11 of the lower slot 9. Bent over and parallel to the lower end portion 20 of the leg portion 7 the upper, free end portion 21 of the piece 17 closes the inner end and forms the upper of the jaws 10 of the lower slot 9. The upper slot 8 is closed at the back and'has the upper of its jaws 10 formed by a bent piece 22 of stock which is substantially centered laterally of the leg 6 and is Welded or fixed at one end to one side of and extends across the upper end portion 21 of the main piece 17. A flat piece 23 Welded or fixed to the opposite side of the upper end portion 21 forms the main part of the lower of the jaws 10 of the upper slot 8.

With its jaws 1i) and 11 fixed to or rigid with its leg portion 7 and its lower slot 9 extending laterally of the leg portion 7 and its upper slot 8 inset and preferably centered substantially laterally upon it, the leg 6, by appropriate cross-grooving of the rails 3 and 4, can be mounted at any of the intersections of the rails and, when so mounted, connects the adjoining parts of the rails to each other.

From the above detailed description it will be apparent that there has been provided an improved pallet which is amply strong, readily assemblable and disassemblable, and, when used for shipping articles, can be so constructed that only the legs need be returned to the shipper for reuse. It should be understood that the described and disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention and that all modifications are intended to be included that do not depart from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A pallet comprising side rails, cross rails extending between and intersecting said side rails, and legs releasably connected to and connecting said side and cross rails at intersections thereof.

2. A pallet comprising laterally spaced side rails, end rails extending between and intersecting end portions of said side rails, and a leg releasably connected to and connecting said side and end rails at eachintersection thereof.

3. A pallet comprising laterally spaced side rails, end rails extending between and intersecting end portions of said side rails, and a leg at each intersection of said side and end rails, each of said legs having a pair of angularly related slots for releasably receiving and connecting adjoining parts of said side and end rails at one of said intersections.

4. A pallet comprising laterally spaced side rails, end rails extending between and intersecting end portions of said side rails, and a leg at each intersection of said side and end rails, each of said legs having a pair of superimposed angularly related slots for releasably receiving and connecting adjoining parts of said side and end rails at one of said intersections.

5. A pallet comprising laterally spaced side rails, end rails extending between and intersecting end portions of said side rails, and a plurality of identical legs each at an intersection of said side and end rails, each of said legs having a pair of angularly related slots for releasably receiving and connecting adjoining parts of said side and end rails at one of said intersections.

6. A pallet comprising laterally spaced side rails, end rails extending between and intersecting opposite end portions of said side rails, a leg at each intersection of said side and end rails, each leg having a leg portion and a pair of superimposed right-angularly related slots thereabove each for receiving an adjoining part of one of and connecting said side and end rails at one of said intersections, and transverse grooves in end portions of said side and end rails each receiving a part of said leg bounding a related slot for locking said rails against longitudinal movement relative to said legs.

7. A pallet comprising laterally spaced side rails, end rails extending between and intersecting opposite end portions of said side rails, a leg at each intersection of said side and end rails, each of said legs having a leg portion and thereabove a plurality of right-angularly related pairs of vertically spaced jaws, each pair of jaws vertically bounding one of a pair of horizontally disposed slots for receiving adjoining parts of and connecting said side and end rails at one of said intersections, and transverse grooves in end portions of said rails and each receiving a jaw of a related pair for locking said rails against longitudinal movement relative to said legs.

8. A pallet comprising laterally spaced side rails, end rails extending between and intersecting opposite end portions of said side rails, a leg at each intersection of said side and end rails, each of said legs having a leg portion and thereabove a plurality of right-angularly related pairs of vertically spaced jaws, each pair of jaws vertically bounding one of a pair of horizontally dis posed slots for receiving sideways and connecting adjoining parts of said side and end rails at one of said intersections, and transverse grooves in end portions of said rails and each receiving a jaw of a related pair for locking said rail against longitudinal movement relative to said legs.

9. A pallet comprising laterally spaced side rails, end rails extending between and intersecting opposite end portions of said side rails, a leg at each intersection of said side and end rails, each of said legs having a leg portion and thereabove a plurality of right angularly related pairs of vertically spaced jaws, each pair of jaws vertically bounding one of a pair of horizontally disposed slots for receiving sideways and connecting adjoining parts of said side and end rails at one of said intersections, transverse grooves in end portions of said rails and each receiving a jaw of a related pair for locking aid rails against longitudinal movement relative to said legs, and means securing said rails against lateral movement to said legs.

10. A pallet leg for a pallet having laterally spaced side rails and end rails extending between and intersecting opposite end portions of said side rails, comprislng a leg portion, and angularly related jaw means rigid with said leg portion for releasably receiving and connecting said side and end rails at an intersection thereof.

11. A pallet leg for a pallet having laterally spaced side rails and end rails extending between and intersecting opposite end portions of said side rails, comprismg a leg portion, and angularly related jaw means rigid with and surmounting said leg portion for releasably receiving and connecting adjoining parts of said side and end rails at an intersection thereof.

12. A pallet leg for a pallet having laterally spaced side rails and end rails extending between and intersectlng opposite end portions of said side rails, comprislIlg a leg portion, and a plurality of superimposed rightangularly related pairs of vertically spaced jaws sur- 5 6 mounting said leg portion, each of said pairs vertically 1,944,845 1/1934 Rickwood 10855 bounding a horizontally disposed slot for releasably re- 2,126,278 8/1938 Quayle 10858 ceiving and connecting adjoining parts of said side and 2,145,093 1/1939 Quayle 108-58 end rails at an intersection thereof. 2,819,859 1/ 1958 Gargarino 108-58 5 3,017,151 1/1962 Townson 10853 References Cited by the Examiner FOREIGN PATENTS UNITED STATES PATENTS 131,602 5/1951 Sweden- 1,409,092 3/ 1922 Goldfield 108-58 1,777,694 10/ 1930 Halterman 108-51 X FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner. 1,782,146 11/1930 Lewis 108-58 10 

1. A PALLET COMPRISING SIDE RAILS, CROSS RAILS EXTENDING BETWEEN AND INTERSECTING SAID SIDE RAILS, AND LEGS RELEASABLY CONNECTED TO AND CONNECTING SAID SIDE AND CROSS RAILS AT INTERSECTIONS THEREOF. 